The Dragon's Wrath
by John Marros
Summary: Ash's friends betray him for being an incompetent, immature trainer. However, it was only a facade. Five years later, he is now leader of the Furious Five, the newly appointed battle masters of the Altos region. Will Ash control the beast inside, or will he let it loose on those he once called friends?
1. The Betrayal

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with an experimental fic. It's based on the Tiger and The Dragon by Dragonwolf511. The story was good, but it left me hanging, yearning for more. Unfortunately, he's been MIA from the site for a little over a year. I changed a few details from the original telling, so ti wouldn't look like a enlarged carbon copy of the original story. If you want to find this story and Dragonwolf's story, it'll be under the Kung Fu Panda/Pokemon Crossover section. Anyway, rambling over, onto the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own the Pokemon franchise. I also do not own the Kung Fu Panda rights. Those belong to Game Freak and Dreamworks Pictures, respectively.**

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Chapter 1

The Dragon's Return (Part 1)

Pallet Town has always been a quiet town, even with the great Professor Oak living there. The rolling fields to the east held a vast amount of Pokémon found near the area, including Ratatta, Nidoran, both male and female and the occasional Eevee. Pallet Town is also home of a Pokémon trainer that thousands have come to know and love: Ash Ketchum. But what was it that everyone liked about him? His skills as a trainer? Sure his strategies were a bit off the wall (in some cases, literally), but his skill in Pokémon training were just slightly above average. True, he has competed in five Pokémon League tournaments, but has come up short in all five, the closest to a win being the Lilly of the Valley conference in Sinnoh. However, his losses never kept him down for very long, as his determination to become a Pokémon Master and the support of his friends kept him marching forward. Until that day, that is.

It had been a beautiful day in Pallet, even the Pidgey were singing. This raised Ash's good mood even more than it had been. Three days ago, he had turned seventeen, meaning he was allowed to obtain a Class seven Trainer's License. What this meant was that he could have up to ten Pokémon in his roster and have any Pokémon he captures while in possession of a class seven license, transferred to a location other than his Pokémon Professor's lab, if he so choose. He spent the next day dealing with the paperwork to register for said license. The next day, he brought the paperwork over to Prof. Oak, as any paper work submitted to the professor was guaranteed near immediate registration. Afterwards, he spent time with his Pokémon, but there was something off. They seemed distant, avoiding him whenever he tried to look at him. Ash shrugged it off, and played with the Pokémon that ran up to him. The next day, he got the shock of his life.

His day started off as usual: his indestructible alarm clock sounded at 07:30, Ash threw it against the wall and then Pikachu shocked him with a Thundershock. After waking up, he ran down to find his mom already making a nice breakfast.

"Morning Mom!" Ash exclaimed. Delia turned around to see Ash still mildly singed from his living alarm clock.

"Morning dear," She replied. Ash grabbed a glass from the cabinet and a pitcher of orange juice from the fridge. "So, have you thought about where you're gonna head to next?" Ash poured his juice into the glass and sat down at the table, shrugging.

"Not really," he replied. He took a small sip of his juice and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl at the center of the table. "I'd like to try for the Kalos Region Pokémon League, but there's a part of me that needs to wind down for a while. Maybe travel without entering a league." Delia came to the table with two plates, each holding a short stack of pancakes, two over easy eggs and three strips of bacon. She set one plate in front of her son, who grabbed the warm syrup and butter for his pancakes.

"Y'know, you said the same thing about Unova, but still ended up registering for the league." Delia replied with a smirk. Ash put on a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.

"I know, I know," he said. "But I'm serious this time. My Pokémon deserve a break. They've worked hard these past six years." Delia smiled at her son. She had seen her son grow up from the impatient child he was, into a mature young adult he was today. And though it made her sad to see her child go on each adventure, she was proud of him, his attitude and determination to his dream.

"Well, in that case, how about another vacation?" she asked. Ash quickly smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like fun, mom," he said. Pikachu nodded in agreement, clutching to the apple that Ash had grabbed. "Do you have any suggestions on where to go?" Delia thought about it for a moment, before a light bulb lit up in her mind.

"We could always go to the Altos Region again," she replied. This got Ash's attention faster than a Rapidash at the race track. He was about to same something, but a knock on the door interrupted his train of thought.

"I got it," Ash said. He got up from his seat and ran towards the door. As soon as he opened the door, a smile crept up on his face. Standing in the door was all his friends, and behind them was Prof. Oak. "Hey guys." The others greeted him as he invited them inside. Delia, who was in the kitchen heard everyone rolling into the house.

"Oh, hello everyone," Delia said. "Can I get y'all anything?" The group declined respectfully and went to find seats in the living room. Ash, who was happy to see his friends, noticed an envelope in Prof. Oak's hand.

"Hey, Professor," Ash started. "What's that you've got there?" Oak just smiled and handed it to him.

"It's for you, Ash." He said. A grin crept onto his face, as he ripped open the envelope and was met with a new Pokedex. Compared to the previous ones Ash had received, this one was very minimalistic, but compact. The basic design was similar to smart phones that people had. "That, lad is the Pokedex 3000. It's the first off the production line and it acts as your class seven license." Ash, being the humble man he was now, nodded his head at the professor.

"Thank you professor," Ash started. "Aside from Pikachu, this is probably the best thing I've gotten from y-"Ash was interrupted by Max.

"What a load of shit!" he exclaimed. "He doesn't deserve a 3000." Ash glared at Max.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked. Gary was the one to speak up this time.

"Exactly as he said it, Ashy boy," Gary started. "You don't deserve to have a Pokedex 3000. You don't deserve to have a class seven license, hell, you don't even deserve to be a Pokémon Trainer." Gary's words shocked the adults in the room, but none more so than Ash, who was shocked to the core.

"Gary, why would you say that?" Oak asked. Misty stood up, as if to defend his argument.

"Because it's true," She said. "Ash is a lousy trainer. He's never won a league challenge, and in every region, he faces off against a rival that he ends up losing to 99% of the time." This time Dawn spoke up.

"The facts are there," Dawn said. "Ash's training is sub-par, he treats his Pokémon like children and is as dense as a steel door. Hell, we only hung out with him, in the hopes of being famous for being friends with a Pokémon Champion. But now, we don't want to be seen with him. In fact, we as a group had decided to give you an ultimatum." May stood up ready to speak, but her stance wavered, as if she was doing this against her will.

"Leave Pallet Town," May declared. "Leave and never return." It was all she said. Everyone looked at Ash, who was vibrating with anger. Ash had felt anger before, but this… this was betrayal in the lowest sense of the word. The friends that he had loved with all his heart just turned his back on him, as if the past seven years didn't matter. He said nothing as he went upstairs. There was a deafening silence among the group, only being broken by Ash slamming his door shut. Delia was the first to recover from what happened, and her eyes glared daggers at the children.

"How could you be so petty?!" She yelled. This made the group cower, as they all had seen the wrath of Delia Ketchum. "My son has saved all of your lives on more than one occasion and you repay him by kicking him out of his home?"

"This isn't my home," Everyone looked at the top of the stairs and saw Ash holding two items and his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Mom, is the garbage disposal working?" Delia nodded. He quickly descended the stairs and ran to the kitchen. The next sound shocked everyone. The disposal came on, and the sound of metal clashing on metal filled everyone's ears. The sound made May tear up. The next sound was of fiberglass being shattered, until finally, the garbage disposal stopped running. Ash returned to the living room, and met the glares of everyone who was against him. He said nothing to them and left the house, with Pikachu following behind him.

Ash ran towards Prof. Oak's ranch to retrieve his Pokémon, but when he got there, his Pokémon showed their true colors. They felt the same way his friends did, and growled at him when they saw him. Their action finally broke his emotional dam and he fell to his knees and just cried. He felt a cold nose touch is cheek and turned to see his buizel trying to comfort him.

"You gonna leave me too?" Ash asked. Buizel shot a water gun at him, which shocked Ash and Pikachu. When Buizel finished the attack, he jumped at Ash and licked his cheek. Ash had gotten his answer.

"You okay, Ash?" Ash turned around and saw Tracy standing behind him.

"You here to tell me off too?" Ash asked. Tracy was puzzled about his question.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Ash then proceeded to explain what happened at his house and what just happened in in the corral. To say that Tracy was shocked was an understatement. He could have been told that Gary had driven off a cliff and he wouldn't have been phased. "Are you serious?" he asked. Ash merely nodded.

"I treated them like family," Ash started. Next to him, Pikachu's ears drooped. "And they repay me by kicking me out of Pallet Town." A few stray tears fell from his eyes. Both Pikachu and Buizel comforted him by licking said tears up. Tracy looked at Ash with sadness in his eyes.

"So where are you gonna go now?" he asked. Ash looked up at him.

"I'm going home." Ash said. Tracy looked at him in shock.

"You can't be serious!" Tracy said. "They just kicked you out of here, and you're gonna go back?" Ash stood up at this and set a hand on Tracy's shoulder.

"This isn't my home," Ash started. "It never was." Tracy raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Ash chuckled at his question.

"Ever heard of the Altos Region?" Ash asked him. Tracy nodded his head.

"According to Prof. Oak, it's one of the few regions that doesn't have a league operation," Tracy explained. "Why do you ask?" Ash smiled.

"Cause that's where I'm from." He said. Tracy nodded in understanding.

"But if you're from the Altos Region, why does your license say 'Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town'?" Tracy asked.

"There are some things you just can't know yet," Ash said. "What you can know is that I have a particular set of skills… skills that make me a nightmare for certain people."

"Like your 'friends'?" Tracy asked. Ash nodded.

"If they so wish it," he said. "Can you do me a favor?" Tracy nodded.

"I'll help anyway I can." Tracy said.

"Grab Pikachu's and Buizel's Poke-balls from storage," Ash said. "If they want me gone, they'll get their wish." Tracy ran into the lab. As soon as he was in the building, he was face to face with Ash's former friends. Behind them was Prof. Oak and Delia Ketchum.

"Where is he?" Misty asked. Tracy, remembering what Ash had told him just glared at her.

"Who?" Tracy asked, knowing very well who they were looking for.

"We're looking for Ash," Gary said. "We've decided that he's not worthy of living here in Pallet, so we're sending him packing." Tracy feigned shock when he heard this.

"I've been out in the corral all morning, so I haven't seen him," He then turned to Prof. Oak. "Professor, there are a few Pokémon who are being a bit ornery. Would you mind helping me pull their Poke-balls?"

Outside

Ash was still out in the corral, finally over his sadness, and now the only emotions he felt at the moment were anger, hatred and betrayal. Out of nowhere, a loud screech and a bellowing roar broke through the sound barrier. Ash looked around, trying to find the source. He then looked up and saw two things he hadn't seen in years. In the sky, flying side by side were two Pokémon. The first one was a massive brown and cream colored bird, with a gold and red plumage waving behind it. The second was a dragon-like Pokémon, with orange scales, blue wings and a flame-tipped tail. Ash kept is face indifferent, in case they were to leave him as well. The two Pokémon tucked their wings in and began to nose-dive, as if racing to the ground. The two glanced at each other, trying to figure out who was going to break first. The first to slow their descent was Pidgeot, who was roughly 300 ft from the ground. If Ash had been in the air, he would have seen Charizards' trademark smirk, as he kept diving. At about 125 ft, he spread his wings and glided towards the ground. The two Pokémon landed at the same time, only to start squabbling. Ash, being curious as to what they were arguing about, activated a trait that is seen only once in a generation: the Dragon's Senses. What this did was allow a person endowed with this trait to have an almost unreal sense of their environment. Of these senses, was the ability to understand Poke-speech, or the universal language of Pokémon.

_"You're full of Tauros-crap, you know that!?" _Pidgeot shouted. Being female, her voice was usually a soft alto, rather than the screechy soprano Ash heard. Charizard snorted at Pidgeot's rhetorical question.

_"Says the woman who chickened out at 300 ft," _Charizard replied. His voice was a low bass, fitting for a once arrogant dragon look-a-like. Pidgeot was visibly insulted by Charizard's comment, including the chicken part.

_"Excuse me?!"_ Pidgeot exclaimed. _"Not even a Dragonite would be ballsy enough to pull a stunt like that. You only did it, because you have some sort of psychotic death wish"_ Ash just stood there, trying to get their attention. But they were so enthralled with their argument, not even Pikachu's thunder bolt could phase them.

"Um, guys?" Ash said. Pikachu was on the ground, shaking his head.

_"Leave 'em be, Ash," _Pikachu started. _"Those guys are so involved in their rivalry, they wouldn't notice Arceus charging up his Judgment attack. Speaking of which, when does Pidgeot for rivalries?"_ Ash just shrugged.

"I wouldn't know, Pikachu," Ash said. "I guess after training the pidgey and pidgeotto flocks, it's refreshing to find someone of equal or greater power. And you're probably right about them not noticing Arceus's Judgment." Pikachu nodded as if saying 'you know it', only to double take on what Ash had said.

_"Um, Ash,"_ Pikachu started.

"Yeah?" Ash asked.

_"Why is it you can fully understand what I said?"_ Pikachu asked. Ash took a step back, just in case Pikachu decided to add a few extra volts to his system.

"It's an ability that I've had for a long time," Ash said. "I just didn't use it during my journey because it wouldn't have been fair."

_"Oh,"_ Pikachu said. _"You could have at least told me."_ Ash nodded and stepped up to the two fully evolved Pokémon.

"Guys, stop fighting!" Ash yelled. The two Pokémon didn't hear him over their squabbling. Ash's patience had increased over the years, but right now, it was starting to get thin. Swifter than anyone had seen him move, Ash was standing next to Charizard. Surprising the flame Pokémon, Ash grabbed a hold of his wing and pulled him to the ground, shocking both Charizard, Pidgeot and any Pokémon who was looking in their general direction. It shocked none more so than Charizard, who was still on the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

_"What the hell was that?!"_ Charizard asked. Ash just smirked at him. _"Who are you and what have you done with my dense, and slightly idiotic trainer?" _Ash reached a hand out to the flying lizard. Charizard accepted his trainer's hand and pulled himself up to his feet.

"I'll ignore that jab about me being dense and idiotic, if you can fill me in on your arrival." Ash said. He then inspected the two arriving Pokémon, noticing subtle changes in both of them. Charizard had grown since the last time Ash had seen him. He still towered over Ash, even with him standing at 5'11". Pidgeot had also grown, but she also gained some battle scars, most likely from feuding with the flock of Spearow and their Fearow leader. All in all, they looked stronger and they emanated power. Ash was snapped out of his inspection by Charizard growling at him.

_"Read the note," _Charizard said. He pointed at his neck, which had a leather collar with the Pokémon's Poke-ball clipped to it and a piece of paper tucked on the inside. Ash reached up to the collar and undid it. As the collar loosened, Ash caught the note as it started to fall. He unfolded the note and its contents made him smile.

Ash,

Your Charizard has done amazingly here at Charific Valley. He had trained up to the status of Alpha Male, but I could see in his eyes that he yearned to grow stronger. It didn't take much to train him, but I've done all I can. To satisfy his hunger for power, I've decided to return him to you. You are a great trainer and I believe that you can release Charizard's full potential.

Liza

Ash shifted his gaze from the note, to Charizard. For the first time in a long time, Ash saw him smile at him.

"Do you agree with what Liza said in the note?" Ash asked. Charizard snorted.

_"If anyone disagrees, I'll turn them into char-broiled steaks,"_ Charizard said. _"Back then, you may have been green, but don't ever let anyone tell you different."_ Ash was in awe at what Charizard had said. He never knew that the flame Pokémon could be poetic. Ash then turned to Pidgeot, the Pokémon that he released to lead and protect a flock of Pidgeys and Pidgeottos from Fearow's flock. At the moment, she was preening her feathers.

"What about you Pidgeot?" Ash asked. She stopped her preening and looked at him with determined eyes.

_"During my time away, I fell in love,"_ She started. _"His name is Aero. He's a shiny Pidgeot, one of the most graceful Pokémon I've ever seen."_ Ash nodded, deep down understanding what it was like to be in love.

"I could tell you stories about someone I truly love, but continue," Ash said. Pidgeot nodded.

_"After admiring him from a distance for so long, I came to find out that he had feelings for me,"_ She continued. _"After the courting and mating, we bore an egg. It hatched into our baby boy, Ventus. The little Pidgey inherited both mine and his father's physical traits, but mentally took after me."_ Ash was getting a bad feeling from this story.

"What happened to them?" Ash asked. Pidgeot shook her head.

_"Nothing happened to them," _She said. _"The point is, I grew restless staying with the flock. The Fearow's flock didn't dare attack. Not after last year's battle. Our tactics beat out their head-on attack again for the umpteenth time. In my mind, I knew that the flock didn't need me to protect them, but I stayed for Aero and Ven. Aero saw my restlessness and he felt the same way I did about the flock. One night, after putting Ven to sleep, Aero asked me why I was restless. I told him my view on the flock and he agreed with me. At the time, he knew about my time with you, and suggest I seek you out and ask to join you again."_ Ash was surprised at her mate's suggestion, but was ecstatic she chose to find him. Ash pulled out a Poke-ball. Pidgeot's eyes widened at the sight of this one. It was her Poke-ball. Ash had kept it all those years, as a memento of his time with the bird.

"I'd be happy to have you… old friend." Ash said. He expanded it and set it to capture. Pidgeot hopped over to Ash and dipped her head to activate the ball, only for Ash to pull it back. "Do you have a true name? One you were born with?" Pidgeot nodded.

_"I was given the name Aria,"_ She said. _"Because when I hatched, I began singing a song passed down from generation to generation."_ Ash nodded and smiled and held out her Poke-ball. In a swift motion, she pecked the center button and was sucked into the old ball. As soon as Aria was in, the capture was instantaneous. He minimized the ball and stuck it into a pocket on the shorts he was wearing.

"Ash!" Ash turned around and saw Tracy running towards him with a backpack.

"Tracy, where are the Poke-balls?" He asked. Tracy pointed at the bag.

"They're in here," Tracy said. He then handed Ash the bag. "Your mom packed you a bag. She also told me to give you a message. 'I'll see you at home,'." Ash smiled.

"What do you think you're doing here!?" The two boys turned around to see Gary leading the pack of traitors, a hint of anger in his eyes. "I thought I told you to leave this place." Tracy looked back at Ash, who had a cold look on his face.

"I came to see my friends," Ash said, pointing out to the corral. "But they've turned their backs on me too. Well, except for a few." Gary stepped forward.

"Oh, so you came here to collect them?" He asked. "Even if they didn't turn on you, we would have taken them from you if you tried." He turned his attention to Charizard and Buizel, with an evil smirk on his face. "In fact, you might as well hand Buizel and Charizard over to a real trainer." He started walking towards Ash, with the intent of obtaining said Pokémon by any means necessary. Charizard had smoke spewing from his nostrils, readying a flame attack, only to have him stopped by his trainer.

"I've got this one, buddy." Ash said. Charizard snorted at him.

_"You'd better have something more effective than that take down you pulled on me earlier."_ The flame Pokémon said. Ash just smirked at him and took a step forward.

"You want their Poke-balls, you'll have to make me broken and bloodied," Ash said. Gary smirked at him, only being about three feet away from him, he readied his first blow.

"With pleasure." He said. Gary released his fist, throwing towards Ash's face. Ash did nothing to block it. That's what it looked like to everyone else. In Ash's mind, the Dragon's Senses had heightened his perception, leaving the effect that time had slowed down. Just as Gary's fist was less than an inch from Ash's face, he grabbed Gary's wrist, turned away and pulled over his shoulder, effectively breaking Gary's arm and slamming him to the ground. When he hit the ground, Gary had the wind knocked out of him and was put in a daze. While in his daze, Ash knelt down and faced him.

"Don't fuck with me, Gary," Ash started. "I put up with your bullshit for two years, because I made a vow to never use my skills out of spite or vengeance. And the only reason you're on the ground right now is because I retaliated in self-defense" Ash then got back up to see his friends, both former and current, staring in awe at what just happened.

"You want to try something too?" He then lifted his fist, which started sparking with a fusion of aura and ki. "Then come at me!" The traitors just stood there in fear and awe, but no regret for what they had done. Ash smirked and lowered his hands "I thought so." He then pulled out Buizel's Poke-ball from the bag and returned him to the miniature kennel. He then set the bag down and Pikachu hopped into the main pocketed, which was cushioned by whatever Delia had packed inside. Once Pikachu was settled in, Ash closed it, leaving it slightly unzipped for air. He gently slung the bag over his shoulder and walked towards Charizard. The flame Pokémon lowered himself down, so Ash could mount for flight.

"Ash," Ash turned around and saw his mother at the front of the group, tears in her eyes. "I'll see you at home." A sad smile crept up onto his face.

"I love you Mom," was all Ash sad. He then mounted on Charizard, who immediately took to the sky. "To Vermilion City. We're going home."

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**A/N: There you have it. The Prologue is split into three parts. I won't post the next two parts until I get my ass in gear on Carry On and Unfinished. I'll try to get them updated soon, but no promises. Oh and the Kung Fu Panda part of the story won't start until part two. Tell me what you think. I do take constructive criticisim, it helps be become a better writer.**

**Until Next Round,**

**John Marros**


	2. The Journey Home

**A/N: Yep... I've convened with myself over the last month, and have decided to update this story. I honestly didn't expect this story to work out. But based on the reviews, I was wrong. So to appease the readers, I've posted prologue part two. Now on to said reviews.**

**StarClan: Well, May not wanting to betray Ash was the idea. She was coerced to do it for reasons I'm not willing to specify at the moment. all will be revealed soon.**

**DaughterofDante: ...Wow. I've never had anyone say that about my writing. Thank you!**

**Anyway, rambling over. On with the show!**

**Disclaimer: John Marros does not own Pokemon, or Kung Fu Panda. They belong to Pokemon Company, Game Freak, Nintendo and Dream Works Pictures, respectively. **

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**Chapter 2**

**The Dragon's Return (Part 2)**

It had about three hours since Ash left, no, was kicked out of Pallet Town. The mid-day sun was blazing overhead, as Charizard and his passenger flew east towards Vermilion City. Ash knew from the get go that this wasn't going to be a straight trip, as Charizard had flown straight from Charicific Valley in Johto to Pallet Town. Every hour or so, he would make him land and return him to his Poke-ball, allowing Aria to stretch her wings. With Poke-balls being a stasis chamber, she heard what went down before they took off. She desperately wanted to fly back and rip their throats out, but Ash kept her from doing so, stating that they weren't worth it. Begrudgingly, she conceded that her master was right, and ceased her thoughts of vengeance. Before they took off, Ash changed from his sleepwear and into a set of clothes his mother had packed. When they took off, He was wearing a pair of black jeans, green shirt with scale pattern, black running shoes, and dark blue fingerless gloves. After another hour, they landed and it was Charizard's turn to fly. After forty-five minutes, they landed outside of Vermilion. He returned Charizard and began his trek towards the port city.

It had been several months since he had been back in Vermilion. It was here that Iris and Cilan, his traveling companions in the Unova Region, had departed from Kanto. As he thought about it, Ash pondered whether or not they thought of him as a legitimate friend or just a tool to obtain fame they didn't deserve. However, Ash was so lost in his thoughts, he wasn't pay attention to his surroundings. Because of this, he had a head-on collision with another person. Normally, running into someone would result in a slight imbalance, but because of the size difference, Ash was floored.

"Watch where you're going!" The other person said. Ash shook his head from being knocked on his ass.

"Sorry," Ash replied. He then heard the person he ran into start chuckling.

"Well, if it isn't the baby, all grown up," Ash's eyes went wide. In his entire career as a trainer, only one person had ever called him that. He looked up and saw a familiar face. His hair was spiked, looking as if he had been electrocuted. That hadn't changed since their last meeting. What had changed was his attire. The last time Ash saw this individual, he was wearing a dark green cargo pants, with an unbuttoned shirt of the same color, combat boots, dog tags around his neck and studded gloves. The dog tags and combat boots were still there, but the cargo pants were replaced with army fatigue bottoms and the opened shirt replaced with a green tank top. On his face was a pair of sunglasses. "Welcome back to my city." He said. He extended a hand out to Ash.

"It's good to be back here, Lieutenant," Ash said. He grabbed a hold of Surge's hand and he was quickly lifted off the ground. "I just wish it was on better terms." Surge didn't pay attention the last bit Ash had said, as he was sizing up the former pip-squeak.

"Damn," he said. "The last time I saw you," He set a flat hand bout waist high. "You were about this tall."

"I wasn't gonna stay small forever, y'know," Ash deadpanned. Surge smirked.

"I guess you're right," surge said. "So what's this I hear about being here on better terms?" Looks like he was paying attention after all. "You don't want to be in Vermilion?" Ash began waving his hands about, hoping to clear up the Lieutenants misunderstanding.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Ash replied. Surge grunted in reply, Ash was relieved that he didn't anger the gym leader. They didn't call him the Lightning American for nothing. "What I meant was, I just wished I wasn't here in the situation I'm in." Surge raised an eyebrow.

"What situation?" he asked.

"It's nothing illegal," Ash started. "But, I'd rather not go into details. And watch your back around the _Waterflower bitch_." He said those last words with venom. After he said the words he needed to say, he walked away.

After thirty minutes of walking, he found the Pokémon Center. 'Aria and Charizard do need a rest from today's travel,' Ash thought. Without a second one, he walked into the center, only to run into another person. This time, it was he who knocked the other person over.

"Oh geez!" Ash exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. Let me help you up." Ash grabbed the man by the upper arm and helped him up. When he grabbed a hold, he felt scaly skin. It was then he found out he was helping a Carracosta.

"Coooooooosta," It said. Ash was a bit frightened.

"Oh, calm down, you," A voice said from behind the prototurtle Pokémon. Ash looked behind it and saw an old man, with a hump on his back. He was supporting himself with a walking stick. "At least he helped you up." The man then turned to Ash, who was relieved that he wasn't going to be mauled by the massive ancient Pokémon. At that same moment, Ash turned to look at the man, and there was a moment of silence between the two.

"I'm sorry about knocking over your Pokémon," Ash started. The old man nodded. "I'm just in a hurry to heal my Pokémon and find the earliest ship out of here." Ash then began to walk into the center. He didn't get three steps past the old man, when he said something that made him stop in his tracks.

"I sense a great turmoil within you," The old man said. Ash turned around to face the man.

"Turmoil's not really the word for it," Ash replied. The old man shook his head.

"You have felt a great loss recently," The old man said. "The loss of loved ones. Not mortally, but spiritually." Ash raised an eyebrow at how accurately the old man had figured out his situation. He then just scoffed at the old man.

"You don't know the half of it," Ash replied. The old man just smiled.

"Why don't you tell me about it then," The old man replied back.

"No offense," Ash started. "But I don't know you very well, and I don't really feel like dumping my problems. Also, I really don't want to talk about it." The old man shrugged.

"I've heard that talking about a painful experience can be the first step into recovering from the pain," Ash was skeptical, but was about to respectfully decline, but couldn't even answer. "Tell ya what, you've got some time to burn while your Pokémon are being checked on. Why don't we sit down and talk. I guarantee you'll feel better afterwards." Ash was skeptical, but he had to admit that the old man had a point.

"I guess," He said. "I'm Ash." He held his hand out. The old man smiled and took Ash's hand with a firm grip.

"Xen Oogway," The man said. After their introductions, Ash checked his Pokémon in with Nurse Joy, and then he and Oogway made their way toward the cafeteria. The two got themselves something to eat and then sat down in a secluded booth. During their meal, Ash recounted his journey as a Pokémon trainer and the friends that he had made throughout up to what had happened that morning. Oogway said nothing as Ash told of the events. When he was finished, Ash truly did feel better, all the pent up anger and rage disappeared from his thoughts.

"That's quite a tale, young man," Oogway said. "All those friendships made built over the years, only to have them topple in a matter of hours." Ash nodded.

"Well, I guess that's what happens when you pretend to be the dense idiot," Ash started. "You lose perspective on who is like-minded."

"So the only friends you have left are four Pokémon, your mother, and friend from the Orange Archipelago." Oogway said. Ash nodded.

"And Professor Oak," Ash said. "He was ecstatic that I was applying for a class seven trainer's license. But because of this, I have to find a new home."

"Hmm," Oogway hummed. "You said you were looking for the earliest ship to leave port?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. "Anywhere is good, preferably its destination being the Altos Region."

"Any particular reason you want to go there?" Oogway asked. "If you don't know already, there's not a league established there yet. So it would hold no value to a trainer like you." Ash chuckled.

"I'm not going for another journey," Ash replied. Oogway raised an eyebrow at him. Ash smiled again. "I have some history there, and want to establish myself there again." Oogway smiled.

"A broken man who can pick up the pieces and move on," he said. "It takes much willpower and determination to pull that off." When he finished saying so, Ash was called up to the front desk.

"It was nice talking to you Xen," Ash said. He stood up and walked away, only to stop a few feet from the booth. "And you were right. Talking about it did make me feel better." Oogway smiled and nodded at him. He stood up from the booth, though he needed help from Ash due to his hump.

"Thank you Ash," Oogway said. "May Arceus light your path on the road to peace." Ash smiled and left the man standing there, waving at him. When Ash was out of earshot, Oogway said something about his former friends. "And may he have mercy on those who cross his blessed."

When Ash got to the front desk of the Pokémon Center, he was met with a sight of Pikachu sitting patiently for his master. Ash had his Pokémon returned to him, with Pikachu returning to the backpack, and the other three Poke-balls clipped to his belt. Seeing as how he was in for a long trip, he made a stop at the Pokemart. While in there, he collected some MREs that the shops sold to explorers looking for cheap and filling rations, some Poke-chow and treats. He looked to the back of the store and saw some clothes for sale. Ash then looked down at what he was wearing. His mom usually had good taste in what to wear. But this time around, she must have been in too much of a hurry to truly see what she was packing. The scaled shirt was a bit tacky and he didn't much care for shirts with designs on them. Wanting to change his shirt, he made a bee-line towards the back and began sifting through their collection of shirts. After five minutes of searching, Ash decided on a flat black t-shirt to replace his green scaled one. He returned to the front counter with is supplies and paid with his trainer's visa: A card given to trainers during their journeys to spend their winnings from battles and tournaments. Since Ash was a battle nut, it was safe to say he was rolling in it.

Ash left the shop and headed towards the docks, the last obstacle before finally heading home. Forty-five minutes of walking later, he found himself at the ticket booth for out-going passenger ships. Ash approached the ticket master, his visa and Pokedex in hand. She was an elderly woman, wearing a blue button up shirt with a neckerchief. She had a bored look on her face, as if the magazine wasn't as entertaining as it should have been.

"I'd like one ticket to the Altos region," Ash said. The woman looked up from her magazine and stared at Ash. "Please? I'm looking to go home." The woman nodded and rung up the price for the ticket.

"That'll be $120," She said. Ash handed her his visa. "Photo I.D., please." Ash handed her his Pokedex. She pulled up his trainer's license and then swiped the card. She handed Ash back the visa and Pokedex.

"Thank you," Ash said. He walked away from the ticket master and headed towards the door.

"You best have a flying Pokémon on you," she said. Ash then turned around.

"Why?" he asked. Out in the shipyard, a horn blared, signaling a ship's departure.

"That's why," the ticket master said. "The last ship to leave the yard was the one headed to the Altos region. The next one won't cast off until ten o' clock this evening." Ash went bug-eyed at her explanation.

"Crap," he said. He then bolted out the door and out to the dock. He looked down at the ticket in his hand and ran to the dock his boat was casted off from. From the end of the dock, he could see the ship a good three miles out. "Aria!" Ash threw out her ball and she materialized, wings spread. She landed next to her trainer and lowered herself to mount up. Ash quickly climbed on to her back.

_"Hold on tight,"_ she said. Ash took hold of her plume and she took off like a missile leaving the silo. Aria was always a speed demon, but tailwind behind her helped in their endeavor to reach the ship. In ten minutes, they could see the deck of the ship and helipad above a drink station. _"Hang on!"_ Aria tucked her wings and began to dive-bomb towards the helipad. Ash held on with an iron grip, the wind stinging his face. At two-hundred feet, Aria spread her wings out and slowed their descent, finally landing gracefully on the helipad. As soon as Ash dismounted from Aria's back, he returned her and was greeted by the captain.

"Trying to stow away on _my_ ship?" The captain asked. "I should have you detained just for scaring the other passengers." Ash then pulled his ticket out of his back pocket and handed it to the captain.

"I'm not a stowaway," Ash stated. "I got my ticket without knowing the departure time. Now, may I have passage onto your ship?" The captain looked at the ticket and then to Ash. Ash could see that the captain was still undecided, so he decided to help him along. He gently set his backpack from his shoulder to the ground and opened the left-side pocket. He pulled out a small stack of money, most likely stashed there by his mother and pulled out four $20 bills. The captain saw a glimpse from the money Ash pulled out and knew his decision on the spot.

"Welcome aboard the 'Yao Guai'," The captain said, holding his hand out. Ash smiled at the captain's decision and took his hand, hiding the money he was bribing the captain with. The captain then looked at the cabin number he was assigned on the ticket. "Let me show you to your cabin." Ash nodded and followed him off the helipad and into the living quarters.

After ten minutes, Ash stood in front of the door of cabin 2113, holding the key he was given by the captain. He finally felt relief. He was finally alone, going to the home he left behind to become a Pokémon Master. He put the key into the doorknob and unlocked it. When he opened the door, he sighed with relief. It was a single cabin, rather than the usual twin cabins. The single room however, had the same size as the twin. With the size, it also had an en-suite bath, a small kitchen, wall-mounted flat-screen television, Queen-sized bed, most likely with magic fingers, and stocked mini-fridge. Ash walked towards the bed and set his backpack on the soft bed. He unzipped it and Pikachu hopped right out and sprawled out on the soft bed. Ash smiled at his starter. When all others turned their backs on him, Ash still had Pikachu as well as a select few that stood by him in his time of need.

"Hey Pikachu," Ash started. The mouse Pokémon opened his eyes and looked at his trainer with intensity. "I need to tell you something. And it pertains to the region we are going to."

_"Alright,"_ Pikachu replied. He propped himself back up on his feet. _"I'm all ears."_

"Remember how I've always referred to myself as 'Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town'?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded.

_"How can I forget, when you spout it off every time you challenged a gym, or met a new trainer or rival."_ He replied. Ash smiled.

"Well, I wasn't always from Pallet Town," Ash said. "Hell, I'm not even from Kanto." Pikachu's ear twitched at this.

_"Then where are you from?"_ he asked.

"Well, I'm from a quaint little village in the center of the Altos region called the Valley of Peace," Ash said. "It's the most beautiful place I've ever been to and I have the honor of calling it my home. It's there I learned a form of battling that isn't seen outside of the Altos region." Pikachu was intrigued by Ash's explanation.

_"A new battle style?"_ Pikachu asked. Ash nodded. _"Well, don't leave me hanging, details man, details."_ Ash chuckled at his starter's antics and scratched him in that special place behind his ear.

"Why ruin the surprise?" Ash asked. Pikachu pouted at his trainer's answer. "Besides, with your learning curve, you'll take to it like a Psyduck in water." Pikachu raised an eyebrow at him.

_"Uh, you mind restating that, boss?"_ Pikachu asked. _"In our experience, Psyduck is a fish out of water… In water."_ Ash smiled sheepishly, laughing at what Pikachu pointed out.

"Good point," Ash said. "By the way, did you ever figure out why Psyduck decided to go with Misty in the first place?" Pikachu did his equivalent of a snort.

_"The bastard's a perv,"_ Pikachu said. _"He saw Misty and just had to be with her. However, he soon found out that she wasn't a very nice trainer, especially to him. To try to tweak her attitude, he feigned headaches, abused a fail-save in the Poke-ball and only used his attacks when the situation called for it." _Ash was laughing at this point. He couldn't believe that the Pokémon that Misty constantly called a dumb Pokémon was playing the field and fucking with her mind.

"Okay, we got off topic," Ash said. "Anyway, that battle style is older than the Poke-ball. But it does tie in with the martial art of Kung Fu."

_"Let me guess,"_ Pikachu started. _"You happen to know Kung Fu?" _Ash nodded.

"I trained under Master Yuan Shifu," Ash paused, as if in deep thought. He then continued his story. "I was one of six of the students he took on at the time." Pikachu nodded in understanding.

_"Alright," _he said. Ash just stared at him. _"My silence is your cue to continue."_

"Oh, right," Ash said. "Anyway, I was the last to be taken on, so I was a bit behind the other students. But, they all chipped in, helping me get up to snuff with them. Eventually, I surpassed them, but the one person I couldn't get passed was Shifu. He applauded my learning curve, and the others for helping me, when they could have trained on their own and left me for the Sharpedoes.

It was then that I began researching the Pokémon in the area and that got me interested in training. Unfortunately, there wasn't a Pokémon Professor in the Altos region at the time and that left me two options: Wait for a professor to come to the Altos region, which was highly unlikely at the time; or move to another region. I was nine at the time, so I was the impatient kid you met at Prof. Oak's lab. I convened with Master Shifu and he thought it would be a good idea as well. It was hard to say goodbye to the friends I had made. But, I knew that one day we would meet again. 'Cause they weren't just friends and training partners, they were my family; a bond that can never be broken. After that, my mom and I packed up and moved to Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. It was there that I met Gary and the professor. I guess I considered Gary a friend at the time, but I would never forget my friends at the shrine." Pikachu was tearing up when Ash finished.

_"That was probably one of the most heartfelt stories I've ever heard," _he said. Ash smirked.

"There's more," Ash said. This made Pikachu widen his eyes.

_"There is?"_ he asked. Ash nodded.

For the next few hours, Ash told stories of his days in the Valley of Peace. All the Pokémon that he had befriended, the wild a crazy stunts with the other student and his feigning of laziness and stupidity on his journeys. Pikachu was shocked that Ash knew everything there was to know Pokémon and the world. If Max had known this, he would have been crying about the fact the so-called idiot known as Ash Ketchum was more knowledgeable than he was. Around 3 o' clock, Kanto time, Pikachu and Ash lied down for a nap. When sunset came, the mouse Pokémon was awoken by the sounds of sizzling and aroma that put Brock's cooking to shame. In the kitchen, Ash was preparing a four serving sized meatloaf and a pot of moist, meaty Pokechow. Pikachu couldn't help but smirk at the fact that Ash had more secrets than he let on.

Since the room was big enough, Ash was able to let the other three Pokémon out for dinner. They all ate their fill, shocked that their trainer had made all of it from scratch. To Ash, the silence was deafening, so he turned on the TV. It was about 9 o' clock, so the news making its final stretch before handing the reigns to late-night talk shows. Ash didn't really follow the news, but the caption on the screen caught his attention.

"Is there a new region joining the ranks of the Pokémon League?" the female newscaster asked. "Well, we'll be finding out soon, as we go live via Skype call to Professor Xen Oogway of the Altos region. Can you hear us professor?" A call screen filled the TV.

"Yes ma'am, I read you loud and clear." Oogway said. The screen with Prof. Oogway minimized to a picture in picture size, showing the newscaster again.

"Alright, now the first question our viewer are asking is," she said. "Is the Altos region joining the World Pokémon League?" Oogway smiled at that question.

"Yes and no," he said. The newscaster had a confused look on her face.

"I don't understand." She aid. Oogway chuckled at this.

"We do plan on joining the league," Oogway started. "But, there is some red tape we have to clear up, such as establishing gyms across the region. Furthermore, the gym's leaders need to be appointed. Not to mention all the paper work needed to join. Best case scenario, it'll take about three years to officially join the WPL." The newscaster nodded in understanding. Ash on the other hand was impressed that he had met the Pokémon Professor without even knowing it.

"Well, thank you for filling us in on the league negotiations," the newscaster said. "Now, on to the next question: You are known as an acclaimed professor all over the world, but what is it that you study?"

"Well, Karen," Oogway started. "I study strategic cooperation between man and Pokémon."

"I'm sorry, did you say 'strategic cooperation between man and Pokémon'?" Karen asked.

"Yes, I did," Oogway replied. "As you may know, Samuel Oak is the leading expert on the relationships between man and Pokémon and how they work together in all aspects of life. But, he never covered the topic of side-by-side combat relationship between the two species. Because of our lush history, warriors of ancient Altos have been depicted as fighting alongside their Pokémon, both protecting each other from harm. In fact, some of our best trainers still use this style in the Altos region. But it requires immense focus, as both trainer and Pokémon have to, in a sense, be one with each other." Karen nodded, looking as if trying to understand.

"So not everyone can battle in this style." Karen stated.

"Everyone is welcome to try, but league regulations limit what battle styles are used, so it would need to be done in the off season." Oogway replied. Karen then smiled.

"Well, thank you for this informative interview," She said.

"It was an honor taking this interview." Oogway replied. The small screen then went black before saying call ended.

"Well, there you have it," Karen said. "That was tonight's news. I'm Karen Anderson and this has been channel seven news. Stay tuned for Jimmy Kimmel Live!" catchy music started playing and the news set faded to black. The scene then shifted to a colorful and flashy view of Castelia City in Unova.

"Tonight on Jimmy Kimmel, we'll be talking to Anne Heche," the screen showed a picture of a blonde woman. "The Soup's Joel McHale." The picture then changed to one of a man with brown hair. "And musical guest, Coheed and Cambria." The picture changed again, showing a group of four men, one with extremely curly hair that puffed out and cascaded on both sides of his head, another man with long straight hair that stopped just passed his shoulders, a man wearing a snow cap and man with shoulder length hair wearing and a flat-topped cap. Ash then turned off the TV. and turned to his Pokémon.

"Get some rest, guys," Ash said. "Tomorrow, we begin training. And it isn't going to be the same BS I pulled on my journey." The Pokémon nodded, understanding what their trainer was truly capable of. Ash returned Charizard and Aria, as they were too large to sleep in the cabin. Buizel curled up under the port hole and quickly closed his eyes. Ash pulled the covers from the bed and lied down, pulling the covers back and covered himself. Pikachu took the foot of the bed and curled up in the same fashion as Buizel. Before closing his eyes, Pikachu looked at his trainer.

_"Hey Ash?" _ Pikachu asked.

"What's up buddy?" he replied.

_"You're not gonna go easy on us, are you?" _he asked. Ash reached for the lamp on the night stand, a smirk painted on his face.

"Not a chance." Ash said as he turned off the lights. Pikachu chuckled.

_"I wouldn't have it any other way."_ Pikachu then closed his eyes and all in the cabin fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**A/N: So there you have it. If you like the story, follow it or favorite it. If you don't like it... Well, I won't deny that there probably thousands of other stories better than mine. **

**Until Next round**

**John Marros**


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